Bubblegum or Bruise

Olivia Gatwoood

blush so pink it can’t be powderblush so pink and icing whippedblush so pink i saw it on a commercialblush so pink on cable televisionblush so pink the model dips her finger in the jarand slides it across her cupcake cheeksso pink i save up seven dollarsso pink i walk to the pharmacyso pink the makeup aisle is a soda fountainstrawberry milk in the mini cartonblush so pink like pantherlike raspberry lemonade feather boa baby showerso pink like holiday for loveblush so pink i wish it was my nameblush so pink i take it to the paint storethis color, i say, paint the whole house!blush so pink i wear it to schoolblush so pink daddy says, those are some pink cheeksblush so pink the whole seventh grade staresso pink they call me clownso pink but not my colorblush so pink my best friend covers her palm with her sleevewipes it across my face,now her sleeve so pink like fairy road killsleeve so pink like bimbo shamesleeve so pink she can’t get it out in the washsleeve so pink for the rest of the yearblush so pink it never leaves the house againexcept for on that sleeve,blush so pink like milkshake bloodstainblush so pink but only in privateblush so pink like lesson learnedblush so pink like learn what your face is good forblush so pink everyone is nauseousblush so pink likerash, infectionso pink like itch and burnso pink like learn how to lovequieter, circus girlit’s making us all sick.